Tomatolandiwaki Co Ltd, an agricultural production corporation in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, realized the stable production of high-quality agricultural produce in glass green houses, incorporating cultivation technologies from the Netherlands, which is a leading agricultural country.

The corporation produces 900t of fresh tomatoes, 30t of fresh figs, 20t of paprika and 20t of strawberries per year. It is focusing on developing its own distribution route, not relying solely on sales to the market, and roughly half of the products are currently sold through direct sales including over the Internet.

When you enter the glass greenhouse, you will see tomato plants lined up neatly at a uniform level (Fig. 2). The environment inside the greenhouse, including the temperature, humidity, solar radiation and CO2 concentration, is centrally controlled and automatically adjusted by a computer. Responding to an outbreak of pests causing damage to crops, agricultural chemicals are sprayed by a self-propelled robot.

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is used as a fuel for heating, and the exhaust gas generated by combustion of LPG is introduced to the greenhouse to utilize high concentration CO2contained in the exhaust gas to accelerate the growth of the crops.

In addition to the introduction of the advanced automation and technologies for the increase in the yield, the corporation also introduced the solar power sharing system in June 2012. Silicon crystal solar panels (18.375kW in total) were installed on seven sun tracking systems

North Korea's military has threatened to blow up balloons that South Korean activists plan to send over the heavily-militarised border carrying 10,000 DVDs of the satirical Hollywood film The Interview.

Activists plan to launch copies of the film — a comedy about a fictional CIA plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un — as well as 500,000 propaganda leaflets across the border on or around March 26.

The Tesla Model X will be terrific and Google’s autonomous egg car will change the world.

But neither can match the awesomeness of China’s GAC WitStar that was introduced this week at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Not only does China’s Model X lookalike feature a range-extended electric powertrain and autonomous drive capabilities — it’s also equipped with a fish tank!

You generally don’t have to look too hard to find a business capitalizing on the appeal of scantily clad women, but recently there seem to be more and more places using half-naked dudes too. Hooray for gender equality, I guess?

This hair and nail salon in Da Nang, where your beauty comes with a side of beefcake.

According to a post on a Vietnamese blog, the salon, which is only open to women clients (sorry, gay dudes), is staffed entirely with men between the ages of 20 and 25. The official uniform is a pair of black briefs and nothing else. The better to see those lovely pecs, of course.

While Japan is usually the reigning king of weird, sexy businesses, the half-naked stylist hasn’t reached these shores yet. But judging by the comments on our Japanese sister site, it’s a market just waiting to be tapped.

A much-ignored huge news report from Reuters on Friday, February 27th, was headlined “Chinese diplomat tells West to consider Russia’s security concerns over Ukraine.”

China’s Ambassador to Belgium (which has the capital of the EU) said that the “nature and root cause” of the Ukrainian conflict is “the West,” and that “The West should abandon the zero-sum mentality, and take the real security concerns of Russia into consideration.”

By “real security concerns,” he is clearly referring to NATO’s expansion right up to Russia’s border, and America’s surrounding Russia with U.S. military bases, now increasingly including the most strategic of Russia’s bordering countries: Ukraine.

In other words, this diplomat says: “the West” has a “zero-sum” attitude toward Russia, instead of seeking to move forward with an approach in which neither side among the nuclear superpowers benefits at the other’s expense — the entire world moves forward together.

This is a direct criticism of Barack Obama, and of all of the pro-Obama, anti-Putin, EU leaders.

It’s also an implicit repudiation of Obama’s having repeatedly referred to the U.S. as “the one indispensable nation.” (Another example of that phrase is here.) Obama keeps saying: every other nation, except the U.S., is “dispensable.” He clearly thinks that Russia is.

That’s not merely an insult: it’s an act of provocation; it is virtually asking for a fight. And all for what? For whose nuclear char?

This criticism of the aggressive nationalist Obama does not come from China’s top leadership, but it would not have come at all if they had not approved of it in advance.

China thus now tells Obama: Stop it. Stop it in word, and in deed.

Implicitly, China is also telling Obama: China is not dispensable, either. In fact, the entire mentality, which Obama embodies, is not just callous and insulting; it’s dangerous.

When you don’t have access to the right equipment, sometimes you just have to get creative and find a way to get the job done. But a Chinese truck driver who was caughthauling a massive 30-meter-long (98 feet) boat that weighs 100 tons found out that you might want to stay off the highway, since police frown on endangering the lives of the rest of the driving public.

The driver of the truck was hauling the gigantic boat, which was nearly twice the length of his truck when police stopped him in Anqing, about 530 kilometers (335 miles) west of Shanghai, on March 8. The police didn’t appreciate the trucker taking the dangerous load on the highway and gave him a RMB 200 (US$32) fine. The trucker was apparently heading to Shanghai, where we sincerely hope the city doesn’t have any highway eccentricities like Osaka.

Image: hebnews.cn

As if that driver’s ambitious boat-hauling wasn’t enough, another Chinese trucker was caught in March of last year in the southeastern Chinese province of Jiangxi with an even more ridiculous-looking load. Somehow this driver of managed to strap a 35-meter-long (114-foot) boat to the top of his 6-meter-long truck. Unsurprisingly, police stopped the driver and put the kibbosh on the precarious balancing act.

▼ A boat being transported illegally on the highway or a see-saw for giants?

Denmark’s Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt has been severely criticized Feb 9 by both the opposition and a coalition partner for declining a meeting with the visiting Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

They have pointed out that before coming to power, Thorning-Schmidt had said she would “of course” meet with the Dalai Lama as prime minister.

She had made that remark in a 2007 book written by her current spin doctor Noa Redington, pointed out thelocal.dk Feb 9. Later, in 2009, she had criticized the then PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen for describing his meeting with the visiting Tibetan leader as “private”.

The Dalai Lama is visiting the Danish Capital Copenhagen over Feb 10-13 for a series of events which include religious teachings, public talks, and a meeting with lawmakers. Seven organizations and companies are hosting his visit.

Political figures on both the right and left have criticized Thorning-Schmidt’s about-turn on the issue of meeting with the Dalai Lama. Venstre’s Søren Pind called the failure to meet “a broken promise” while Nikolaj Villumsen from the left-wing Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) called her decision “deeply embarrassing and hypocritical”, noted the thelocal.dk report.

And Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard has also been criticised for failing to meet with the Tibetan leader by members of his own political party, calling it “reprehensible” and “frustrating”, the report added.

Before 2009, two more Danish prime ministers had met with the Dalai Lama: Poul Nyrup Rasmussen in 2000 and Anders Fogh Rasmuseen in 2003.

The current Danish government is working hard to strengthen economic and cultural ties with China. Thorning-Schmidt visited China in Sep 2014 to promote business relations between the two countries, while Culture Minister Marianne Jelved visited it in Nov 2014 as part of the “largest Danish cultural effort in China to date”.

When you see these students in China lining up, we bet your guess is that they are getting $1 TVs…or concert tickets for the latest K-pop star…or perhaps a free iPhone. The answer, however, is none of the above; these students are in fact lining up to…

…get into the library! What you see are students from the Nanjing University of Finance and Economics queuing up, not for free food or a sale, but to get a spot in the library so they can study for their finals!

The pictures were taken at about 7:40 AM and the diligent crowd has formed into long, snaking lines leading to the doors of the library. Note that in Nanjing the temperature drops to 2℃ (35°F) and the grass and leaves around the building were all covered in frost.

On November 29, officers took Nobuaki Muroi, a 33-year-old employee at club Xeno, located in the Kabukichoentertainment area, and one other staff member into custody for allegedly demanding 280,000 yen from three male customers at the club four days before.

According to Fuji News Network (Dec. 1), the total bill included 30 drinks, priced at 5,000 yen each, that were consumed by hostesses.

In escorting the victim to an automatic-teller machine, the suspects threatened to inflict violence if payment of 80 percent of the total (or 230,000 yen) was not made. The suspects then photocopied the driver’s license of one victim and had him sign a promissory note in an effort to collect the remaining 50,000 yen in the future.

Both suspects, who have been charged with violating a metropolitan ordinance that prohibits bottakuri, or overcharging, have reportedly denied the allegations, saying that the total bill was justified.

According to TBS News (Dec. 1), police have received many complaints this year from customers at Xeno about overcharging.

This is not the actual smuggled pet, in fact this is a tortoise, not a turtle.

A curious story comes out of China this week, as the South China Morning Post News reports that a man tried to smuggle his “beloved” pet turtle inside of a KFC hamburger. As the boxed hamburger/turtle went through X-ray screening at the airport, security noticed “odd protrusions” poking out of the burger.

The man is quoted as saying, “There’s no turtle in there, just a hamburger,” and furthered, “There’s nothing special to see inside.” You know, except a turtle.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police says that 3.34 billion yen, (US$28 million) in lost cash was handed in at police stations in the city during 2014, the highest such amount in five years.

Of the total, 2.74 billion yen—74% of the total—was returned to the owners, Sports Nippon reported Monday.

The police also said that 3.56 million lost items found their way to its lost-and-found center. These included 560,000 items of clothing, 400,000 umbrellas and 900 pets such as rabbits and parrots.

The most expensive item restored to its owner was a bag containing 18.4 million yen in cash. In some cases, the owners of cash could not be found. Under Japanese law, if something is not claimed after three months, the person who handed it in is allowed to keep it.

But astonishingly, 390 million yen in cash went into Tokyo’s city coffers after finders relinquished that right.

Local media played up the story as further proof of how safe Japan is, a point Tokyo hammered home during its successful bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

The country’s relative security—something many Japanese are proud of—is often remarked upon by visiting foreigners, who tell tales of wallets accidentally abandoned in bars, taxis or trains, that invariably get returned.

The Australian Federal Police have arrested the captain of a Chinese coal ship for sailing through part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park without a pilot.

The ABC understands the captain — a Taiwanese national by the name of Lu — will plead guilty to a charge of being the master of a ship without a pilot in the marine park, an offence that carries a maximum fine of $85,000.

Captain Lu's matter was in a Newcastle court today but was adjourned until tomorrow after a request by his defence solicitor.

It is alleged the bulk carrier, the China Steel Developer, left the port of Mackay on New Year's Day and sailed through Hydrographers Passage, a deep water channel near Creal Reef off Mackay, without a pilot as required under law.

The ship is believed to have transported a load of coal to China before returning to Australia and anchoring off Newcastle last week.

AFP officers arrested Captain Lu on Saturday.

In 2010 a Chinese bulk coal carrier, the Shen Neng 1, ran aground on a reef off central Queensland after veering more than 10 kilometres outside the shipping lane.

The grounding damaged one of the ship's fuel tanks, resulting in a four-kilometre-long slick of heavy fuel oil.

It also carved a three-kilometre-long, 400,000-square-metre scar in and around Douglas Shoal, the largest known damage to the Great Barrier Reef caused by a ship.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has said coral regrowth at the site has been hampered by toxic anti-fouling paint used on the hull of the Shen Neng 1.

The ship's first mate served three months in prison over the incident, while the vessel's master was convicted and fined $25,000.

About 4,500 ships travel through the Great Barrier Reef to Queensland ports every year.

Any pet owner will tell you that pets are undeniably a part of the family. Everyone wants the best for their furry four-legged friend, and it is emotionally painful to watch them when they get sick or when their lives end. Even worse is when their already too-short lives are cut even shorter due to illness caused by something that was believed to be good for them. So, in response to consumer concerns that jerky treats manufactured in China have been the cause of thousands of pet illnesses and deaths, pet-supply chain Petco has decided to stop all sales of Chinese-produced dog and cat treats.

The FDA targeted the treats after receiving more than 4,800 complaints of pet illnesses, including the deaths, after pets ate chicken, duck or sweet potato jerky treats from China. Meanwhile the number of cases continued to climb, with illness reported in more than 5,600 dogs, 25 cats and 3 humans as of October.

On January 7, Petco announced that it has discontinued sales of pet treats from China at its 1,300 stores nationwide because of speculations that the treats may be linked to over 1,000 dog deaths in the U.S. since 2007.

Despite testing, the FDA has not yet been able to determine the cause of illnesses, and still no definitive link has been found between the illnesses/deaths and the treats. Still, the treats were targeted after more than 4,800 complaints of illnesses and death after pets were fed the jerky treats from China. Investigations are still ongoing.

Even though there have been no definitive links yet made, with consumers growing more wary about what they give their four-legged family members, Petco made the decision for the pull and has been replacing them with treats manufactured in the U.S. or other countries such as Australia and New Zealand.

With multiple pet food recalls each year due to salmonella, mold, and more, there has recently been a growing movement of pet parents who have ditched canned and bagged pet food all together, and have either started cooking for their fur babies (a growing number of pet food cookbooks are available online and in bookstores), or have even started their pets on raw food diets.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says initial tests have not connected the Chinese jerky and rawhide treats to the illnesses, but the San Diego-based company and its rival PetSmart both vowed in May to ban the snacks.

Petco is the first national pet retailer to pull the treats from its 1,300 stores. Phoenix-based PetSmart Inc. said Monday that it plans to have them off shelves at its roughly 1,300 stores by March.

John Sturm, Petco’s vice president of pet nutrition and merchandising, told CBS News in an email that the company has been “actively reducing our China-made assortment and expanding our American-made offerings for several years now.”

He also noted that, “while there is no direct, definitive link identified by the FDA between the reported illnesses in cats and dogs and China-made treats, as a trusted source to our customers, we decided pet parents’ concerns about the safety of China treats was significant enough to pull these products from our shelves.”

Symptoms may occur within hours or days after eating the treats, the FDA warned, and can include decreased appetite, decreased activity, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes with blood or mucus), increased water consumption and/or increased urination. In severe cases, pets may be diagnosed with pancreatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and kidney failure.

The FDA said it has tested for a wide range of contaminants including Salmonella, pesticides, rodenticides, mold, arsenic, led, antibiotics and other chemicals, but has so far been unable to determine the cause of the illnesses.

Sturm said Petco treats are now made in the U.S. or places such as the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia and South America. The company risked tens of millions of dollars by changing treat vendors, he said.

Earlier this week in China, one such loving boyfriend decided that he wanted to surprise his girlfriend with a box containing the most joyous gift he could think of: himself.

Yet when the package arrived at his girlfriend’s office, it was not a gasp of delight she let out but a shriek of terror, for inside the box lay her boyfriend, unconscious and deathly pale after passing out from oxygen deprivation.

Here’s how the tragedy played out. Before attempting the ill-fated stunt, the boyfriend conspired with a friend to be on the scene with a camera to photograph his girlfriend’s expression of unadulterated joy as she opened the box containing him.

The boyfriend then arranged for local parcel delivery service to pick him up from home and deliver him to his girlfriend’s office while she was at work. When the time for his delivery approach, he climbed in the box, had his friend seal the lid and made himself comfortable.Surely this would give her a surprise to remember!

An adorable, if not slightly narcissistic, sentiment to be sure, but there was one problem:he forgot to open up air holes in the box, trapping himself in a cardboard prison with a very limited supply of oxegyn.

The package arrived at his girlfriend’s office and the friend was there with camera on hand. Everything seemed to have gone according to plan. But when the girlfriend opened the package, she found her beloved curled up in the fetal position, unmoving and unconscious.

Luckily, he had just passed out and regained consciousness soon after. Still, he certainly succeeded in giving her the shock of a lifetime!

People often look at humanoid robots and think “That’s creepy!” However, Asuna is so human-like that you might find yourself thinking “She’s cute!” instead. Researchers have determined that there is a human instinct to react with disgust when people see something, such as a doll or robot, that appears to be too human while still falling short of looking exactly like the real thing. That said, researchers are now investigating the possibility thatextremely human-like robots such as Asuna have the ability to bypass this repulsion entirely and be viewed merely as other people instead.

According to her official profile, Asuna is a beautiful 15-year-old who was “born” in Tokyo. She is 155 cm tall (61 inches) and weighs 43 kg (95 lbs).

Our reporter felt an instant affinity to Asuna’s lifelike movements

Sure, you’ve probably seen pictures of humanlike robots before, but the true charm behindthis android lies in her movements. Meg comments that she was blown away by the sheer naturalness of Asuna’s mannerisms. From the way she blinks and squeezes her eyes shut to the shape her mouth makes as if she were about to yawn, Asuna is truly on a different level from other androids.

Take a look at Asuna’s incredibly lifelike facial movements in the following video:

Sinus infections are an inflammation of the lining in the sinus cavities. Sinusitis can be caused by colds, flu, bacteria or allergies. Fortunately, you don’t have to over-medicate yourself with conventional drugs, there are many natural and effective remedies for a sinus infection.

Garlic Inhalation. Garlic is a very powerful natural antibiotic. It possesses antiviral and anti-fungal properties. Add 3 cloves of minced fresh garlic to a pot of boiled water. Cover your head with a towel over the pot and begin inhaling.

Steam Inhalation. The steam alone is a powerful decongestant that helps to clear the breathing pathways. It opens sinuses and reduces sinusitis.

Neti Pot. This is a very well known treatment for a sinus infection. The Neti pot thins mucus and flushes it out of the nasal passages. All you need is salt and water. Just fill a Neti pot with 1 teaspoon of sea salt (preferably celtic) and 2 cups of lukewarm water. Tilt your head over the sink, place the spout of the pot in the upper nostril and pour in the water gently. The water will flow through your nasal cavity and out the lower nostril. Do the same on the other side.

Apple Cider Vinegar. ACV thins mucus. Mix two teaspoons of organic apple cider vinegar in a glass of water (you can add raw honey for the taste). drink it up to 3 times a day.

While food safety problems are unfortunately common in China, one outraged Chinese netizen recently shared a new kind of trouble jeopardizing food: humans. The poor victim only wanted to send some snacks from Japan back to China, but when the package finally arrived, it was found to have been completely ransacked by someone on the way. Postal services and customs are our only way to transport items from one place to another without travelling, so when a breach of trust like this occurred, it led many Chinese netizens to ponder upon the meaning of civilization.

According to the enraged Weibo user, the package left Japan prim and proper on January 21. A picture was taken for the addressee for the sake of confirming that the package had been sent, but little did he/she know that the journey for this box was going to be a turbulent one.

When the box arrived on the other side of the ocean on February 2nd, it was torn and tattered. In fact, the journey from Japan to China was so rough that our little traveler here even lost one kilogram (2.2 pounds) along the way. Once the box was opened, it was clear why it had become so much lighter…

It looks like something gnawed on this box of chocolates! By something, we mean people…Customs claimed that they found the box suspicious, and hence had opened the box to check. It appears that some customes officers in China check for problematic items by eating them.

According to the victim, the post office denied consuming anything in the box, when led him/her to conclude that the Chinese customs staff must have been really hungry.